1. Technical Field
This invention relates to a typing aid and, more particularly, to a computer typing aid that cooperates with a PC during operating conditions so that a user can simultaneously view selected portions of the display screen and a printed document.
2. Prior Art
Many paper, book holders have been disclosed. Such desk-top holders are usually mounted on a table, particularly when a personal computer with its peripherals such as keyboard, printer, monitor, mouse pad, scanner etc., are occupying much of the table space. This is very inconvenient for the user during the operation of a P.C. when a mis-touch of the keyboard may cause serious errors or unexpected trouble.
Conventional reading stands are of the type having an inclined back member to support a book or other reading material. Such reading stands, of course, are convenient for those using typewriters, computers and musical instruments. Many of the devices for reading the content of each page of a book by scanning, such as CCD (Charge Coupled Device) are provided with a page turner. Such a page turner is provided with a book holder for placing thereon a book to be held open and a suction nozzle is provided so as to be rotatable by a drive force transmitted from a gear. The top page of the book held open on the book holder is air-sucked by a suction nozzle. In this state, by rotating the suction nozzle, the pages of the book are successively turned one by one.
In addition, a groove provided at the center of the book holder accommodates the spine of the book in order to set the book on the book holder. However, in the arrangement of the above conventional page turner, since the book is placed directly on the book holder, as the pages of the book are turned, one side of the opened page gets lower, and the other side of the opened page—gets higher, and thus the position of the top page of the book held open changes.
Moreover, the book holder is a fixed-type, and the book is set on the book holder only by fitting the spine of the book into the groove formed in the book holder. The buckling of the page of book may occur depending on the quality of the paper used for the pages of book. Therefore, when scanning the book by the page turner provided in the CCD, the scanning position must be adjusted according to the height position of the top page of the book. Furthermore, in order to prevent the occurrence of the buckling of the page, a complex device or mechanism structure is required.
The sliding-type of page turner is available as well. The sliding-type page turner is arranged as follows: The side of the page is buckled up, for example, by sliding a roller, and a pin is inserted into the buckled portion. Then, the book holder is moved, thereby turning the page. However, the sliding-type page turner also presents the following problem: The pages of the book are turned by moving the book holder only in one direction.
Therefore, when turning a plurality of pages in one direction, every time a page is turned, the book holder must be moved back to the original position, thereby presenting the problem of low operating speed. Moreover, page turning means are required separately for turning the pages on the left hand side of the book, and for turning the pages on the right hand side of the book. Because this makes the control system complicated, the compact-size page turner cannot be achieved.
While many of these paper holders can hold such papers in a position where they are readily visible by the operator of the computer, known paper holders of this type lack the degree of adjustability that may be desired particularly when the operator is reading from paper of different sizes.
Additionally, for those with physical defects, such reading stands and page turners are inconvenient to use. This is because a disabled person frequently cannot turn the pages of a book or some reading material themselves and must rely on the aid of another person.
Accordingly, a need remains for a computer typing aid electrically coupled to a PC and attached to a computer screen for allows a user to simultaneously read and type from a printed document. The present invention fulfills such a need by providing a servomotor that holds and automatically moves a piece of paper as needed by the typist while attached to a monitor or laptop screen. This eliminates the need to sit in an uncomfortable position to read a document that is lying on a desk or use an additional supporting apparatus to read a document.